Xiaoyan Liang

Dr Xiaoyan Liang is a Lead Education Specialist and focal person for Skills and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at the World Bank Group. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Shanghai Jiao tong University, and Master’s and Doctor of Education degrees from Harvard University. With over two decades in international development, Dr Liang’s expertise spans early childhood education, teacher and STEM education, TVET and skills development, higher education, and science and technology, to cross-cutting themes of education finance, governance, poverty, and inclusion. Her notable contributions include the “How Shanghai Does It” publication, analyzing the success of Shanghai’s top performance in PISA, which represents pioneering TVET programmes in China. This work informed the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP), emphasizing grassroots TVET reform, industrial linkages, and institutional autonomy with accountability.